Great Career Success Debate: Plan B if you didn't land a summer internship

Patrick O’Brien, author of Making College Count, entrepreneur and professor, squares off with career expert Dr. Susan Davis-Ali, founder of Leadhership1, author and Carlson School of Management faculty, on how to achieve success after college.

Question: I have had no luck getting an internship for the summer. Any thoughts on a plan B for me that will help me build my resume and gain some experience?

Pat’s Take: Landing an internship can be challenging. With some firms, it’s tougher to land and internship than an actual full time job as a graduating senior. So don’t despair – but also, don’t give up!

Here are some creative solutions to gain valuable experience and build your resume this summer. None of them offer you the ability to earn income (sorry), but gaining experience and building your resume still make these opportunities worthwhile.

At a minimum, you’ll gain invaluable experience which will give you important insight as to whether a field will be of interest to you in the future. Here are a few suggestions as to where you may be able to still get an opportunity this summer:

Work for a startup. You may wait tables to earn your way back to school, but find a startup that will let you come work for free. Commit to 15+ hours per week for 8 weeks and you’ll get their attention. Startups are often desperate for help, but short on cash to pay additional staff, so if the owner believes you are truly committed and knows you’re willing to do almost any work to help them make progress in their business objectives, he or she will likely give you a chance. Most cities have a business incubator (or two). Google for a few minutes and you’ll find it. If you don’t, call the Chamber of Commerce and they can point you in the right direction.

Work for a not-for-profit. Charitable organizations are also typically short-handed and in need of quality workers/volunteers. In this scenario, look for opportunities that relate to your career goals. If you want a career in sales or marketing, try to help them raise money. If you want to do design, do design work for them. Pouring soup, for instance, is a very caring thing to do, but it won’t give you relevant work experience unless you are pursuing social work. Calling your local chapter of the United Way will give you an understanding of what charities exist in your town and who might be interested in some help. Who knows – the United Way itself may be interested in your services.

Shadow – a lot. Find 5-6 professionals that you can shadow for at least a day over the summer. Don’t be afraid to ask anyone you know in a relevant role if you can follow him/her around for a day. Parents, relatives, friends of your parents, neighbors, or your friends’ parents are all fair game for this!

Pat’s Bottom Line: If you haven’t landed an internship this summer, don’t give up. Keep talking to everyone you know about what you’re interested in doing this summer. Use every resource you can to find a role. And, if all else fails, find someone who will let you work for them for free on a part-time basis. You’re not doing this for the money, anyway. You’re doing it to gain experience and perspective on your future career goal and to build you resume for next year!

Susan’s Take: Take comfort in the fact that you are not alone in not landing an internship this summer. I’ve talked to many top-notch students who don’t have internships either. Pat offers three solid “Plan B” options, and I’ll add three of my own.

Take summer classes. I hear from a lot of students and parents the challenge of graduating in 4 years due to heavy course load and the inability to get all your required classes. Without an internship, make this is the summer to take 2-3 classes to ensure that you’re on the 4-year college track. In the long run, graduating in 4 years will save you a year of tuition and you’ll be entering the workforce sooner, so when it comes to overall bang for your buck, summer classes can be a great financial option. Check out what classes your college offers or what credits they’ll accept from an online university.

Work with a professor. Not all majors lend themselves to traditional summer internships. If you’re still trying to figure out your summer plans, ask your favorite professor if he/she needs an unpaid research assistant this summer. Many will be happy to have your help.

Travel. I’m not talking about the kind of travel that involves maxing out your credit cards, or laying on exotic beaches. I’m talking about finding low-budget travel options that allow you to experience new cultures, practice the language you’ve been learning in college, or be a part of something greater than yourself. I know Pat dismissed “pouring soup” because he said it does not provide relevant work experience, but I disagree. Any experience in which you are selflessly serving others is a very worthy Plan B (or a Plan A).

Susan’s Bottom Line: Summer Internships are a great Plan A, but if you don’t get one, it’s not the end of the world. You can still build a very successful college resume by doing one of the other six summer options Pat and I suggested. No matter which one you choose, build in some very well-deserved down-time too. A long summer break is a luxury that does not follow you into the working world, so enjoy it while you can.

Are you transitioning from college to career or working in your first job after graduation? If so, we’d love to answer any question you may have related to career success. Send your first name, school, and/or employer to AskPatandSusan@gmail.com and we’ll try to address your question in a future article.